Flurries tease county residents

Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 8:27 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 8:27 a.m.

Snow flurries fell across Henderson County for most of the day Saturday but didn't stick until a late band of snow moved into the area after dark.

There was the potential for the county to get 1 to 3 inches of snow Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Instead, Hendersonville got some flurries in the midmorning with no accumulation.

By late afternoon, skies were blue and the sun was shining. According to Harry Gerapetritis at the National Weather Service, there was a “trace of snowfall,” but “no depth on the ground,” according to readings at the Asheville Airport.

But bands of snow moved across the region about 8:30 p.m., finally bringing a coating of snow.

Fletcher and Mills River reported almost an inch of snow by 10:30 p.m., NWS Meteorologist Doug Outlaw said. Hendersonville residents saw a dusting of snow or a heavy dusting depending on their location, he added.

At the same time, many Asheville streets were becoming impassable, and accidents were being reported across the city, Outlaw said, adding that Henderson County should see the snow flakes retreat by midnight.

The temperature at Asheville Airport at 10:30 p.m. was 25 degrees, Outlaw said, and it hit 23 degrees at UNC-Asheville. Winds reached about 30 mph at Asheville Airport Saturday night. The low Saturday was expected to fall into the teens.

In North Carolina, about 1 inch of snow had accumulated in the eastern part of the state and 1 to 2 inches in the western area.

With temperatures dropping below freezing, icy roads are possible today before temperatures rise to the upper 30s or lower 40s.

Sunday's forecast in Hendersonville calls for a breezy high of 39 degrees, and Monday's high should reach 51, according to the NWS.

Upstate South Carolina residents were hit much harder by the snow. Despite warnings, the snow that fell around Spartanburg County on Saturday afternoon caught several by surprise.

The big white flakes fell for about three hours before moving off to the east, but not before blanketing much of the Upstate. Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the NWS in Greer, said there were isolated reports of 2 to 3 inches of snow in some parts of the region.

Rachel Guthrie, a medical student from Virginia, said it wasn't snowing when she and her friends went downtown for lunch, but at almost 4 p.m. she was left walking through the snow in flip-flops.

<p>Snow flurries fell across Henderson County for most of the day Saturday but didn't stick until a late band of snow moved into the area after dark.</p><p>There was the potential for the county to get 1 to 3 inches of snow Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Instead, Hendersonville got some flurries in the midmorning with no accumulation.</p><p>By late afternoon, skies were blue and the sun was shining. According to Harry Gerapetritis at the National Weather Service, there was a “trace of snowfall,” but “no depth on the ground,” according to readings at the Asheville Airport.</p><p>But bands of snow moved across the region about 8:30 p.m., finally bringing a coating of snow.</p><p>Fletcher and Mills River reported almost an inch of snow by 10:30 p.m., NWS Meteorologist Doug Outlaw said. Hendersonville residents saw a dusting of snow or a heavy dusting depending on their location, he added.</p><p>At the same time, many Asheville streets were becoming impassable, and accidents were being reported across the city, Outlaw said, adding that Henderson County should see the snow flakes retreat by midnight. </p><p>The temperature at Asheville Airport at 10:30 p.m. was 25 degrees, Outlaw said, and it hit 23 degrees at UNC-Asheville. Winds reached about 30 mph at Asheville Airport Saturday night. The low Saturday was expected to fall into the teens. </p><p>In North Carolina, about 1 inch of snow had accumulated in the eastern part of the state and 1 to 2 inches in the western area. </p><p>With temperatures dropping below freezing, icy roads are possible today before temperatures rise to the upper 30s or lower 40s. </p><p>Sunday's forecast in Hendersonville calls for a breezy high of 39 degrees, and Monday's high should reach 51, according to the NWS. </p><p>Upstate South Carolina residents were hit much harder by the snow. Despite warnings, the snow that fell around Spartanburg County on Saturday afternoon caught several by surprise. </p><p>The big white flakes fell for about three hours before moving off to the east, but not before blanketing much of the Upstate. Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the NWS in Greer, said there were isolated reports of 2 to 3 inches of snow in some parts of the region. </p><p>Rachel Guthrie, a medical student from Virginia, said it wasn't snowing when she and her friends went downtown for lunch, but at almost 4 p.m. she was left walking through the snow in flip-flops. </p><p>The Associated Press contributed to this story. ­</p>